Are you a junior or senior in college? If you are, you probably know that it's pretty standard for everyone that talks to you will ask you what your plans are for after you graduate. And most of the time, it leaves you thinking: "Didn't I just get done with everyone asking where I was going to college?" Well that's the price you pay when you decide to get a quality education (you know, besides the $30,000+ per year you have to pay for tuition). Everyone, and I mean everyone, wants to know what your next step is. But when you have no idea what your next step is (other than getting through this next semester), all those questions about your future can send you into a panic. Let's face it though, when graduating from college is in the horizon, the "real world" starts to become even more real.
Wasn't it nice when our only worries were what toy to play with, or what grade you got on your spelling test? Now we need to decide on where we're going to move, and where we're going to apply so we have plenty of options. Because the thought of being unemployed and stuck in your childhood bedroom forever could give anyone hives.
Everyone around you is telling you that you need an internship under your belt, even though most internships don't pay you anything and you still need to pay for school and pay for food and pay for rent. So how am I supposed to use my summer for an internship that isn't willing to pay? If you're lucky enough, you may find an internship or two that's paying, and then it seems like the stars are finally aligning for you (until you have to stress over whether you'll get the job after you send in the application you spent days perfecting).
Of course we're all going to miss the social part of college, or having Friday's off when you don't have classes (or my favorite part of college life: the 4 months off in the summer and the month off at Christmas). Life will never be like this again, so the thought of being pushed into the real world (where you have to work 5 days a week, 9 to 5-and you only get two weeks vacation) makes you want to hold on to college forever.
As scary as the real world is (unless you're moving onto MTV's "Real World", in which case not much will be changing), it's exciting to think that we're moving on to the next exciting stage in our lives, where you don't have to pay for textbooks, and mooch off your parents when you want to order pizza (if you're lucky enough to find a well-paying job after graduation).
So I say we get excited for the next stage in our lives (but don't wish away college), and make the best of it. Apply to every job you hear about, take that internship that doesn't pay (because it'll open a few doors), and live your life chasing for the dreams that are the reason you went to college in the first place.
To the real world, everybody!
